A common Pagan phrase is to mention whether you are "in" or "out" of the broomcloset. In other words, being "in the broomcloset" means that you are not public with the fact that you are a Pagan. You may not wear a pentacle, or wear it under your shirt. You probably avoid talking about religion in class or at work. For some people, being in the broomcloset is a necessary situation because they fear the reactions of those around them upon learning that there is a Pagan in their midst.

To be out of the broomcloset, however, does not necessarily mean that you have to publically wear your pentacle at all times, nor do you have to make announcements at work like, "I'm a Pagan, so I need to take my eight holidays off!" You can be just as subtle about being Pagan, but you are probably more likely to tell people about your beliefs.

I personally think that being out of the broomcloset is the best way to go. Yes, I have close relatives who are Southern Baptists, but I'd rather them know me for who I am than think I'm someone I'm not. Being out of the broomcloset is also a way that I feel I help the Pagan community: By being a public figure, people will see that we're not a group to be feared, nor do we follow a passing trend, but we're a community of intelligent, educated, and trustworthy people. More people have been shocked in a *good* way when I told them matter-of-factly that I'm a Pagan. The normal reaction is, "Really? I know nothing about it...please tell me what you believe!" I think that's in part due to the fact that I do my best to treat others with the respect that I would like in return.

But there are always going to be those who do not offer respect, no matter how hard you try. You're going to run into them whether you're in the broomcloset or not. True, you run into them less when you're in the broomcloset, but they're still out there.

Some people tend to be out of the broomcloset with everyone but their own families. That's understandable since, after all, you do have to live with them. Others have told their families, but do not tell strangers or friends. It all depends on what you are most comfortable with.

There are several reasons why I prefer to be out of the broomcloset. For starters, people tend to fear what they don't understand. By taking away the "secrecy" of being a Pagan and opening myself up to their questions, we bridge the gap towards further understanding. In Drawing Down the Moon, Margot Adler gives an example of when she was interviewing Yvonne and Gavin Frost in a public area. Adler said she lowered her voice when she brought up the "W" word out of habit, but the Frosts told her to stop. Their reasoning is that when people overhear whispering, they tend to think the worst...not that you're whispering for your own safety, but that you're whispering because you're talking about something that's dangerous and should be brought to the light. In the case of families, I believe that if you are hiding something as benign as a life-affirming, Nature-based religion, since your parents won't understand that's what Wicca really is, they'll tend to fear the worst. And if you're hiding a religion, who's to stop them from believing you're hiding drugs or guns or something more harmful?

Of course, there are advantages of being in the broomcloset. There have been incidents in which Pagans were harassed, and I knew of one girl who was beaten up, just because of their religion. Your personal safety should come first. It's rare for people to actually hurt you physically for being Pagan, but it is easier for them to try to smear your reputation if they find out. They may gleefully drag you kicking and screaming from the broomcloset and try to use your religion as a point of ridicule. I had a suitemate and a few classmates try to do this to me before, but they couldn't get very far because everyone already knew. But don't feel pressured to come out of the broomcloset too soon if you feel that you are doing a good enough job keeping a low profile. Make sure you are comfortable discussing your religion well before you actually feel the need to do it. One possibility to gain comfort is to go to general religion chat rooms and practice discussing the topic. When you feel ready to take the next step, look for an Interfaith group on campus...you can just say you're an agnostic looking for your path, though try to err on the side of truth. Interfaith groups will generally give you a better feeling of acceptance, and since the more open-minded religious leaders often go to those meetings, you can make friends with them and they will become a good safety net.

Finally being the head of the Pagan student group kind of eliminates any doubt in the mind of others. If you decide to eventually begin or join a Pagan group on campus, all people have to do to find out who you are is go to a meeting. But remember that if you become the head of the group, you are the group's public face, and it will be your job to represent your group out in the open. Please don't try to drop this responsibility on someone else in the group. Chances are that no one else will want to be kicked out of the broomcloset by one of "their own" and they will resent you for it. Even if you have a member who has no problem being public, being the spokesperson is the job of the leader. If you don't feel up to taking that responsibility, the members will sense it and will begin to question your ability to lead.

I found more freedom in being out of the broomcloset. It made it easier to fight for what I believed in, and made it harder for people to use my religion to insult me. Even now, I still wear my pentacle openly, and while there are some people who give me strange looks, there are more who are friendly about it. Take things at your own pace, but I hope that in the future with more vocal Pagans there will be no need for closets at all!

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